House approves three Energy and Commerce public health bills

The Energy and Commerce Committee has added to its bipartisan #RecordOfSuccess campaign with the Monday House approval of three new public health bills that will bolster mental health care, provide consistency for pharmaceutical reviews while protecting manufacturing jobs, and combat prenatal opioid abuse.

The three public health bills include S. 599 – the Improving Access to Emergency Psychiatric Care Act, H.R. 639 – the Improving Regulatory Transparency for New Medical Therapies Act, and S. 799 – the Protecting Our Infants Act of 2015

“Today, we build upon our bipartisan record of success in public health,” Energy and Commerce Committee Chairman Fred Upton (R-MI) said. “These bills address critical issues for Michigan and the nation – mental health, opioid abuse, and transparency and consistency in the review process of medicines. I am also pleased an important component of 21st Century Cures that will protect U.S. manufacturing jobs is now headed to the president. Our work continues on these fronts, but today’s vote is an important step in ensuring proper resources are available in a timely manner to help folks in need.”

The Improving Access to Emergency Psychiatric Care Act extends the Medicaid Emergency Psychiatric Demonstration Program for requesting states that are eligible to participate. It also aids states in offering timely care to individuals in need of mental health care and assistance. The bill passed by voice vote and will next be considered by the Senate.

Transparency and consistency for the scheduling of FDA-approved treatments by the Drug Enforcement Agency are the goal of the Improving Regulatory Transparency for New Medical Therapies Act, with a goal of getting treatments to patients in a more efficient manner. The bill, sponsored by Health Subcommittee Chair Joseph Pitts (R-PA), first passed the House in March before being amended by the Senate in late October. The bill includes H.R. 2340, which passed the House as part of H.R. 6 – the 21st Century Cures Act.

The Controlled Substances Import and Export Act currently places burdensome requirements on American pharmaceutical companies operating abroad. This act, however, would create an equal playing field with foreign manufacturers who do not face similar export restrictions, keeping manufacturing jobs from going overseas.

The bill was approved by the committee with unanimous consent and will now be sent to the president to be signed into law.

The Secretary of Health and Human Services would be required under the Protecting our Infants Act of 2015 to conduct a review to discern possible gaps in the research, prevention and treatment of prenatal opioid abuse and children born experiencing withdrawal. The bill passed by voice vote and will now go to the president to be signed in to law. The House passed companion legislation – H.R. 1462 – in September.